Flurry of activity at deadline results in races in Swansea

SWANSEA — There was a flurry of activity as more potential candidates came to take out nomination papers on the last two days to pull the papers, last Wednesday and Thursday.

The potential candidates for the annual town election had until yesterday, Tuesday, to return the papers signed by 50 or more registered voters.

Among those pulling papers was Susan Ambroziak who will run against Scott Ventura for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Ms. Ambroziak is an elected member of the Recreation Commission and a former School Committee member.

Another elected member of the Recreation Commission, Harold Higgins, took out papers to run against fellow commissioner Helen Tackett for the three- year seat on the Community Preservation Committee. Ms. Tackett remained the only member to take out papers for Recreation Commission. A Special Town Meeting vote in November abolished the elected Recreation Commission and made it an appointed board. However, because of the timing of the attorney general's review of the meeting articles, the Recreation Commission was an elected body at the time the available positions were announced.

The race that has the most candidates, is the five-year seat on the Housing Authority. Ronald Silvia, Ronald Cabral, Wayne Gray and incumbent James Finlaw all took out papers. Incumbent Richard Bates has no opposition for the four-year seat. Mr. Finlaw pulled his papers on Wednesday after the other three candidates had already pulled theirs. Mr. Bates pulled his papers on Feb. 1.

Mr. Gray, who currently serves on the Board of Assessors, formerly served on the Housing Authority as Governor Mitt Romney's appointment. He was replaced by Michael Berube when Democrat Deval Patrick became governor.

Another contested race would be incumbent Planning Board member Scott Adams challenged by Kenneth Figueredo.

Incumbent constable Thomas Hydrick did not pull nomination papers. That left six people seeking the six seats, including incumbents William Cooper, Mark Foley, Robert Furtado, Joseph Martin and Christopher Carreiro along with Joseph Foley.